For some reason I suggested this may occur in early January 2017 when in reality the charity auction will take place on December 12 at Dubbo saleyards. All proceeds from this sale will be used in the employment of breast cancer nurses.

Troy Stockmarkets Association has confirmed the final selling dates for 2016. They are: last prime cattle sale Thursday, December 15; last store cattle sale Friday, December 16; last prime sheep and lamb sale Monday, December 19; first prime cattle sale for 2017, January 5; and the first sheep and lamb sale, Monday, January 9.

Once again Dubbo agents scanned and sold almost 5000 head at their regular prime cattle sale last week. This writer keeps thinking and saying the centre has seen the last big sale for the year and for the last few weeks the facility has proven me wrong. Already some agents are suggesting numbers may continue to run right through until the final sale of the year. Some North beef processors are suggesting their final kills will be in mid-December.

A spokesman for R.J. Fletcher and Co said at this point in time they were only going to miss the public holidays. No doubt these thoughts from all parties will at some stage have to consider the price and availability of suitable livestock.

A leading research economist involved in the red meat industry in the United States recently spoke at an industry conference in Sydney. The trend of his delivery was that somewhere down the track Australian grinding beef exported to the US may have competition from Brazil.

American consumers use massive amounts of lean grinding beef which they blend with the much fattier feedlot trim from their own herd to produce what they consider to be their ideal hamburger pattie. In the last decade or so Brazil has been ruled out of this market because of FMD and their exotic diseases.

This is no longer the case and small consignments of Brazil beef have been dribbling in. Currently Australia’s quota is 418,000 tonnes to Brazil’s 64,800 tonnes.

The economist stated consumers were not really concerned about place of origin but more about quality for purpose, safe (our clean and green environment) and nutritious. My thoughts are that constant supply availability and most importantly price can be added to the list.

Brazil would still face some hurdles. For starters it does not have the same tractability system as Australia. After years in the wilderness, Brazil does not have a co-ordinated system like ours.

Some people in the US are worried about the risk of disease from the imported beef and Brazil must establish its reliability in the market if it wants a greater share.